They have the flowing black robes to lend them dignity and gravitas. They have gavels to command attention from the wise guys in court. Now judges in New York have been given permission to carry guns while carrying out their duties.
”From an ethical standpoint, there is no prohibition … barring you from carrying a firearm while performing your duties on the bench,” the New York state advisory committee on judicial ethics said last week.
The ruling was prompted by a query from one of New York state’s 3 400 judges, who asked whether it was ”ethically permissible” to carry a firearm in court.
The committee also reminded judges of the decorum and seriousness of their office. ”Be patient, dignified and courteous” to those appearing before the bench, it said, and behave in ”a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary”.
The ruling, reported in the New York Law Journal, dispensed some advice on how to achieve the difficult balance of being fair-minded while packing a piece. ”This committee believes that keeping your firearm concealed and safeguarded on your person while you are on the bench is advisable,” the ruling said.
Anxieties about judges’ safety have grown in recent months. In March last year an Atlanta judge and two others were killed when a suspect escaped from court. – Guardian Unlimited Â